Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Improving Spiritual Root Aptitude

It was him?!

Li Buhui!!!

Wu Fan hid in the shadows at the cave entrance, his brow furrowed, his mind filled with doubt.

How did he end up in this desolate wilderness, being chased and killed in such a sorry state?

But the doubt only lingered in Wu Fan's mind for a moment before he made his decision.

Li Buhui was someone he had known since childhood. Over the years, the other party had helped him sell his pills and acquire cultivation materials, so they had a fairly good relationship.

Furthermore, after observing them secretly for a while, he realized that although the two pursuers were also at the late stage of Qi Refining, they did not possess any top-grade magic weapons. Even if they did, he could use the formation to escape.

If one were to stand by and do nothing, it would go against one's own conscience, and such thoughts would be difficult to reconcile.

At that moment, Wu Fan took out a mask to cover his face. With a flick of his fingertips, the Flaming Sun Sword was suddenly drawn, followed by the Fire Cloud Shield which hovered in front of him. Three flying needles quietly appeared beside him, and several powerful talismans were held in his palm.

Finally, he raised his hand and summoned the Dangkang Banner, its runes flashing. He muttered a spell, and a faint crimson aura gradually enveloped his body.

In just a few breaths, Wu Fan was ready, completely concealing his aura.

At this moment, Li Buhui was already on the verge of life and death.

The lean man held a short blade, its cold light aimed directly at his dantian, while the short, stout man beside him unleashed earth-yellow spiritual energy, condensing it into a giant palm that blocked all his escape routes.

A hint of despair flashed in Li Buhui's eyes as she closed them, awaiting her "death."

A crimson sword light suddenly shot out from the direction of the cave, moving with lightning speed, and accurately struck the short blade in the lean man's hand.

"Clang!"

A crisp, ear-piercing metallic clang rang out as the lean man's short blade whistled through the woods and pierced a thick tree trunk with a "thud."

Before the two could react, another fire snake, more than ten feet long, followed. The crimson flames, carrying scorching heat, easily shattered the short, fat man's earthen-yellow giant palm with a gentle impact, scattering spiritual energy in all directions.

The fire serpent's power remained undiminished; with its gaping maw, it still lunged at the short, stout man.

The short, stout man panicked and hurriedly summoned an earthen-yellow shield from his storage bag to block in front of him, but with a muffled "bang," the defensive artifact was instantly knocked away by the fire snake.

The fire serpent, though only half its power was depleted, still advanced with unstoppable momentum.

In desperation, the short, stout man threw several earth-yellow punches in an attempt to defeat the fire serpent, but it was all too late.

The fire serpent withstood several punches, yet still slammed into him, instantly igniting a raging inferno, and its piercing screams echoed through the mountains.

Upon seeing this, the lean man hurriedly took out a water-attribute talisman and activated it, causing a jet of water to pour down, barely extinguishing the fire snake.

But by this time, the short, stout man was already charred black all over, lying on the ground barely alive, only letting out weak moans, clearly seriously injured.

The lean man's pupils contracted sharply, filled with apprehension.

This attack was terrifying; it nearly killed a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining with just one spell!

The sudden turn of events stunned him completely. After a moment, he abruptly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the cave entrance, his voice cold and wary:

"Who's there? Show yourself! You cowardly rat hiding your head and tail, if you have the guts, stop hiding."

Li Buhui slowly opened her eyes, her face full of surprise. She followed the gaze of the lean man, her heart filled with doubt.

Who secretly saved me?

Why would someone with such formidable strength offer assistance?

At the entrance of the cave, Wu Fan slowly walked out, crimson spiritual energy surrounding him. His expression was calm and undisturbed as he glanced at the three people before him, his tone indifferent:

"We stumbled upon this place while on our journey, only to witness such a farce. Gentlemen, you're pushing us too far; isn't this a bit much?"

The lean man narrowed his eyes and carefully examined Wu Fan. Although he couldn't see Wu Fan's face clearly, he could tell that Wu Fan's cultivation level was only at the eighth level of Qi Refining, so he relaxed his vigilance a little.

But recalling the incredibly powerful Fire Serpent Technique he had just unleashed—a power he couldn't even muster in a few breaths—a deep sense of dread welled up within him, and he said in a deep voice:

"Who are you? And why are you interfering in our affairs?"

Wu Fan's lips curled into a mocking smile. He naturally saw through the apprehension in the other party's eyes and slowly spoke:

"I was just resting here when your fighting disturbed my peace. I didn't want to get involved, but your ruthless pursuit of my life is too cruel."

"Oh?"

The lean man's face darkened, and his tone became threatening:

"Then I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. It would be wise for you to leave as soon as possible. This person is someone the Foundation Establishment Master specifically requested. If you insist on interfering, you will be courting death. Don't make a mistake!"

"A Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed across Wu Fan's face. He quickly withdrew his spiritual energy and bowed respectfully.

His tone was respectful yet tinged with apprehension:

"So you two are subordinates of the Foundation Establishment Master. I have offended you greatly. Please forgive me."

Seeing Wu Fan's appearance, the lean man's apprehension completely vanished, and his tone softened as he waved his hand and said:

"Since you are aware of the seriousness of the matter, please leave immediately. I will let bygones be bygones regarding your injury to my brother and will not pursue the matter further."

"Yes, yes, that's natural. I'll take my leave now and won't bother you two any longer."

Wu Fan nodded repeatedly, then turned around as if to leave in a hurry.

But the moment he turned around, his eyes suddenly turned cold, his fingertips surged with spiritual energy, and he swung his sword finger sharply.

The already activated array flags shone brightly. As the Kang flags shook violently in the air, a massive yet incredibly fast Kang beast emerged from the void, roaring as it charged towards the lean man.

At the same time, three flying needles, imbued with sharp spiritual energy, silently shot towards the short, stout man on the ground whose wails were fading.

"A top-grade magic weapon?! At the ninth level of Qi Refining?!"

The lean man exclaimed in surprise, his expression changing drastically. He never expected that Wu Fan was deliberately feigning weakness.

He hurriedly summoned his defensive artifacts and activated several talismans in succession, attempting to withstand the impact of the giant beast Dang Kang.

The short, stout man on the ground was already critically injured and dying. His reaction was a beat too slow. Even if he sensed the danger, he was powerless to dodge. The three flying needles pierced his vital points with precision, and he died on the spot. His body twitched a few times and then became still.

The moment he killed the short, fat man, Wu Fan didn't stop. He manipulated the Flaming Sun Sword, which glowed with crimson light, and condensed a fire serpent, attacking the lean man from both sides.

At this moment, the lean man had already had his defensive magic artifacts and talismans broken through by the giant beast Dang Kang. His chest was throbbing with pain from the impact, and he was hurriedly reaching into his storage bag to search for new talismans.

The Blazing Sun Sword and the Fire Serpent came one after another, moving so fast that he could barely react and could only barely activate two talismans to defend himself.

With two loud "bangs," the power of the talisman was instantly shattered. The Flaming Sun Sword grazed his arm, leaving a deep wound, and flames spread outwards.

Wu Fan smirked and once again activated the Dangkang Banner with his fingertips. The Dangkang Beast roared and slammed into the lean man again.

Just as the lean man attempted to reactivate the talisman, the giant beast's white, jade-like fangs pierced straight through his chest, gushing out blood that stained the beast's fangs red.

The lean man stared wide-eyed at the fangs on his chest, his face filled with disbelief. Blood spilled from his mouth several times before he finally lost consciousness and collapsed limply to the ground.

Wu Fan raised his hand and retrieved the Dang Kang Beast and the Flaming Sun Sword. With a flick of his fingertips, he took the storage bags from the waists of the two men and casually flicked out two fireballs. The fireballs landed on the two corpses and burst into flames.

Moments later, the body was burned to ashes, leaving no trace.

After doing all this, Wu Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He already knew the power of the Kangqi, but the fire magic he used today far exceeded his expectations.

He already knew that his Five Elements magic was quite powerful, but he didn't expect it to be this strong.

It was just a fire serpent technique that was released in an instant, yet even a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining was unable to withstand it.

It's likely that even if the lean man managed to withstand it, his spiritual energy must have been greatly depleted.

From this perspective, the power of his instantaneous spell is comparable to, or even surpasses, the full-force attack of a cultivator of the same level.

Such strength was bound to surprise and delight Wu Fan.

It seems that he underestimated himself and lacked awareness of his own abilities in the past.

Despite his surprise, Wu Fan quickly regained his composure and began to reflect on his actions.

Pride and complacency are absolutely unacceptable.

The cultivation world is full of hidden talents, with countless chosen ones and prodigies. There must be even more extraordinary beings than oneself. Only by keeping a low profile, remaining vigilant at all times, and never underestimating any opponent can one go further.

After calming himself down, Wu Fan walked up to Li Buhui, who was still dazed, and slowly removed his mask, revealing a young and composed face with a faint smile on his lips.

"Long time no see, Brother Li."

Li Buhui stared at him blankly, her expression changing instantly, from initial bewilderment to shock upon seeing his face, and then to overwhelming joy at surviving a calamity—all in a flash.

He struggled to get up, but the movement aggravated the wound on his shoulder, causing him to gasp in pain. Even so, the smile on his face remained bright.

"Brother Wu! It's you?! You actually saved me!"